The War for Yamal
Lionel Messi – an idol; Kylian Mbappe – a rival. And you – the next Ballon d'Or winner. At least, that's how Lamine Yamal sees it.
In February 2024, after lengthy negotiations, the gem of Barcelona and Spanish football signed a contract with Adidas.
Negotiations began several months earlier , when the La Masia academy talent – who made his first-team debut under Xavi Hernandez – was still under contract with Nike.
To convince him, the German sports brand captivated him with a presentation that ended with a video of Leo Messi: "I want you to be a part of our family."
Nike attempted to break that allure – a psychological tactic employed by Adidas with their eight-time Ballon d'Or winner – and counterattacked with their biggest star: Mbappe.
However, that didn't convince Lamine. Not because Mbappe lacked class, but because of Yamal's personality: he didn't see the French striker as a role model, but rather as a rival.
"Lamine Yamal sees Messi as his idol, while Mbappe is a contemporary ," a source from Adidas shared.
Mbappe's victory
It's fascinating what has happened. Lamine Yamal needed less than a year to prove the football world right.
Mbappe is not an idol, but a rival. Today, perhaps the biggest rival: facing off against each other in the two strongest national teams in Europe, and also in the highly anticipated El Clásico between Barca and Real Madrid.
In that competition, Yamal was the clear winner : 7 out of 8 encounters.
“I like it when the fans have expectations of me and the team. I enjoy that and believe we can achieve great things. I’m not afraid of pressure. I’m not worried at all ,” Lamine affirmed.
In his first professional season, Yamal faced Mbappe twice in the Champions League quarter-finals. Barcelona surprisingly defeated PSG 3-2 in Paris.
Then, Luis Enrique's tactical brilliance against Xavi at Montjuic, coupled with Ronald Araujo's red card, helped PSG come from behind to win 4-1. That was Yamal's only defeat against Mbappe.
With the Spanish national team, the Catalan player won both encounters: the semi-final of EURO 2024 (2-1) and the semi-final of the UEFA Nations League 2025 (5-4). Yamal scored 3 goals in these matches.
He also gave Mbappe a headache while wearing the white shirt. In the four El Clásico matches last season, Barcelona beat Real Madrid every time (goal difference 16-7).
If Lamine previously displayed confidence in meetings with Adidas, he now does the same in the press conference room.
"As long as I'm winning, nobody can say anything to me. When I lose, then they can talk ," Yamal stated frankly.
Challenge Ronaldo
Lamine Yamal is not only thinking about collective victory with Barca and the Spanish national team, but also has a clear personal goal: the Ballon d'Or.
“I always tell my mother that I will do my best. That’s what motivates me to play soccer, that’s why I wake up every morning ,” Yamal confided.
In the race for the prestigious France Football and UEFA award , his teammates like Pedri and Raphinha, or rivals in La Liga like Mbappe and Vinicius, have all fallen behind.
His biggest rival is probably the Champions League winner: Ousmane Dembele.
“He’s a great player, but we’ve reached the final. I like to perform on the pitch, and that’s what I did,” Yamal declared after Spain beat France 5-4 to reach the Nations League final, where they will face Cristiano Ronaldo ’s Portugal.
This was Lamine Yamal's first match against Ronaldo, who has been in explosive form since joining Portugal and is also the all-time leading goalscorer with 937 goals.
"I have great respect for Cristiano because he is a great player with an extraordinary career ," Yamal said before the final at Allianz Arena (2 AM on June 9th).
When Ronaldo made his debut for Sporting Lisbon on October 7, 2002, Lamine hadn't even been born yet ( July 13, 2007).
This Sunday, Lamine Yamal will compete against Ronaldo for the title; before facing Messi in the Finalissima next March.
Yamal wants to beat the icons, just like he did when he defeated Mbappe, and continue to nurture his dream of winning the Ballon d'Or.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/bo-dao-nha-vs-tay-ban-nha-lamine-yamal-chong-lai-ronaldo-2409329.html
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